I Hope to Stroll the Island and Gaze Upon It with Sheer Sensibility

I Hope to Stroll the Island and Gaze Upon It with Sheer Sensibility
I Hope to Stroll the Island and Gaze Upon It with Sheer Sensibility

2016.10.2 - 2017.1.26 | 2F-3F, Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art

Introduction

The art community in Taiwan is quite familiar with Lien Chien-Hsing's paintings of ruins in magic realism. The solo exhibition at Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art this time naturally includes works in his characteristic style. However, unlike Lien's other exhibitions in recent years which mostly focused on his new works, the museum staff has endeavored to loan Lien's works from many generous collectors. Therefore, this solo exhibition not only showcases Lien's brand new works that are on view for the first time, but also displays many old works that are emblematic to the development of Lien's career, rendering the exhibition a valuable opportunity for the audience who would like to know more about the progressive evolution of Lien's art.

 

The term "desolate magic" stems from the distinctive style and position the artist has given himself—Lien depicts ruins and transforms them into landscape with a magic atmosphere. "Desolate magic" has almost become synonymous to Lien's art. However, taking a retrospective examination of Lien's work in the past four decades, one would realize that "desolate magic" is more than just a descriptive term of his style.

 

The exhibition title, I Hope to Stroll the Island and Gaze Upon It with Sheer Sensibility, is a self-expressive statement that does not attempt to define Lien's style. Instead, it is a straightforward, candid statement about Lien's artistic attitude. This sentence, taken from the novel, The Remains of Life, by Wu Heh, was originally a self-inspection expressed with sensibility when the novelist delved into his field research. In this exhibition, we hope to convey such attention as the novelist. After years of field research, as Lien has gazed upon the ruins and into the desolation, if he has not carried out his artistic endeavors with sheer sensibility, he would not have retrieved the past in the dilapidation, and evoked the magic of ruins with his individual talents from the historic remains that encompass both the past and the present.

Artists' Profile

 



Lian Jianxing

Born in 1962, his experience growing up in Keelung not only saw the fishery depression caused by overfishing, but also witnessed the tragic process of the traditional mining industry turning from the prosperity of the past to the decline. Therefore, for the artist, the so-called locality, Almost destined to point to those ruined landscapes that eventually lead to idleness and decay. Even as an adult, Lian Jianxing has continued to explore various ruins in the Taiwanese countryside. However, through the artist's introverted and metaphorical imagery, the abandoned landscape not only displays a surprising magical charm, but also invites the audience to ponder deeply about the environment and ecology. It can be said that although Lian Jianxing's painting practice has directly faced the various high costs that Taiwanese society has paid in the process of modernization, at the same time, he exposes but does not criticize with an inclusive sensibility, making us think but not lightly preach. .

 

Photos

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery

  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery

  • 2016.10.02 Opening

  • 2016.10.02 Opening

  • 2016.12.17 Lecture

  • 2016.10. 02 Opening

  • 2016.10.02 Opening

  • 2016.10.02 Opening

  • 2016.10.02 Opening

  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 2nd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery
  • Installation view of 3rd floor gallery
  • 2016.10.02 Opening
  • 2016.10.02 Opening
  • 2016.12.17 Lecture
  • 2016.10. 02 Opening
  • 2016.10.02 Opening
  • 2016.10.02 Opening
  • 2016.10.02 Opening

Publications

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